Charles Barkley admitted to owing a Las Vegas casino $400,000 and promised to repay it after a prosecutor said he faced criminal charges.
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According to ESPN, NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has a gambling problem. Most people are unaware that it has cost him more than $10 million.
Athletes are vulnerable to gambling addiction. Barkley is not alone in this. Michael Jordan, who got into trouble by gambling excessively on golf, also had gambling issues.
Put On Blast: Charles Barkley Exposes Michael Jordan’s Gambling Habit, Betting $300,000 On Golf Shots [Video] https://t.co/Nt2vWxOQqk pic.twitter.com/Mty0JW48j2
— Bossip (@Bossip) March 24, 2017
While Barkley has never admitted to or been caught gambling on sports teams he actively represents, he has admitted to massive losses. Barkley believes he has lost $1 million in gambling at least 30 times.
Barkley essentially admitted to ESPN in 2006 that his gambling habit had cost him $2.5 million “in a six-hour period” one night. Even back then, the NBA legend claimed to have lost more than $10 million over the years.
Charles Barkley was charged with gambling debts totaling $400,000 in Las Vegas
Following a 16-year NBA career that included an MVP victory over Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley established himself as an analyst on the ‘Inside the NBA’ show.
Aside from his love of basketball, Sir had a thing for gambling, which became an addiction to the point where it was causing him harm.
Barkley in trouble for huge debt to Vegas casino http://tinyurl.com/5n44em
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 15, 2008
The Wynn Las Vegas Casino sued Barkley for failing to repay $400,000 in gambling loans (markers). He paid off his debt as well as $40,000 in attorney fees. Barkley took a two-year break from gambling to learn golf and play with Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.
“I made a mistake,” Barkley admitted during an interview at a pro-am golf tournament in Hoover, Alabama. “I’m not broke, and I’m going to fix it.”
Charles Barkley’s new gambling philosophy: Only loses hundreds of thousands, not a million. http://t.co/KYXKVpefVp pic.twitter.com/ZQ4ksVJ75H
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) January 15, 2015
Barkley was responding to Clark County District Attorney David Roger’s comments that prosecutors would file a criminal complaint against him if he did not pay the debt cited by the Wynn Las Vegas resort.
While he admits to gambling occasionally, Sir Charles does so in moderation. According to AZ Central, he won’t let it go completely. His self-proclaimed secret to avoiding gambling debt is to quit while you’re ahead.
